Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sur and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Sur: $1,151 a month against $1,586 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cape Town outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

56

Cost of Living Index in Sur
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Sur Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Sur

🇴🇲 Oman

$1,151

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sur and in Cape Town

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sur and in Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,151 per month in Sur vs $1,586 in Cape Town, rent included.

Sur $1,151
Cape Town $1,586

A couple spends around $1,657 per month in Sur vs $2,425 in Cape Town, rent included.

Sur $1,657
Cape Town $2,425

A family of three spends $2,163 per month in Sur vs $3,263 in Cape Town, rent included.

Sur $2,163
Cape Town $3,263

Sur is about 27% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Sur sits 15% below the global median, while Cape Town is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.99 OMR 1.54

$12.14 R 200

-67.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.52 OMR 10.21

$45.34 R 747

-41.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 OMR 2.93

$5.88 R 96.9

29.25%

Cappuccino

$4.98 OMR 1.92

$2.50 R 41.18

99.20%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 OMR 0.29

$1.27 R 20.94

-41.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 OMR 0.10

$0.98 R 16.14

-74.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.86 OMR 4.95

$2.99 R 49.33

330.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.11 OMR 5.05

$3.72 R 61.4

252.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 OMR 0.61

$1.30 R 21.40

22.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 OMR 0.48

$1.25 R 20.68

-0.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 OMR 0.67

$2.23 R 36.76

-21.97%

Eggs

$1.96 OMR 0.75

$3.11 R 51.2

-36.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.43 OMR 2.86

$9.06 R 149

-17.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 OMR 2.66

$6.92 R 114

-0.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.96 OMR 3.45

$9.30 R 153

-3.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 OMR 0.89

$1.84 R 30.25

25.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 OMR 0.52

$1.96 R 32.29

-31.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 OMR 0.41

$1.67 R 27.45

-35.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 OMR 0.31

$2.17 R 35.70

-63.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 OMR 0.29

$1.57 R 25.81

-51.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 OMR 0.20

$1.48 R 24.45

-64.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 OMR 0.59

$1.30 R 21.41

16.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 OMR 0.21

$1.13 R 18.60

-52.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.39 OMR 2.46

$3.60 R 59.3

77.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.37 OMR 5.92

$6.15 R 101

149.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.90 OMR 2.27

$1.38 R 22.66

327.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.29 OMR 3.96

$2.14 R 35.20

380.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R 24.65

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,001

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 OMR 1.29

$0.59 R 9.71

466.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 OMR 1.01

$1.50 R 24.65

75.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.60 OMR 2.93

$5.11 R 84.2

48.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 OMR 0.22

$1.55 R 25.50

-63.23%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$25.2K OMR 9,710

$36.2K R 596.5K

-30.34%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$22.3K OMR 8,603

$31.2K R 514.8K

-28.49%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$80.7 OMR 31.07

$114 R 1,883

-29.40%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$23.85 OMR 9.18

$28.91 R 476

-17.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 OMR 26.81

$39.73 R 654

75.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.9 OMR 32.70

$49.01 R 808

73.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 181

Cinema Ticket

$10.47 OMR 4.03

$9.15 R 151

14.43%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$285 OMR 110

$259 R 4,264

10.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,440 OMR 2,479

$6,794 R 111.9K

-5.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 OMR 21.67

$56.2 R 926

0.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.84 OMR 16.49

$32.41 R 534

32.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 OMR 34.47

$121 R 1,987

-25.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 OMR 33.26

$108 R 1,781

-20.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$263 OMR 101

$1,021 R 16.8K

-74.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 OMR 104

$717 R 11.8K

-62.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 OMR 182

$1,824 R 30.1K

-74.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 OMR 149

$1,327 R 21.9K

-70.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$562 OMR 217

$2,391 R 39.4K

-76.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$529 OMR 204

$1,542 R 25.4K

-65.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,638 OMR 1,015

$1,639 R 27.0K

60.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

10.97

-52.14%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Sur: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Sur

$271 23.5%

Cape Town

$717 45.2% 165% $446

Groceries & Markets

Sur

$251 21.8%

Cape Town

$225 14.2% 10.5% $26

Eating Out

Sur

$209 18.2%

Cape Town

$176 11.1% 15.7% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sur

$174 15.1%

Cape Town

$183 11.5% 5% $8.8

Clothing & Footwear

Sur

$124 10.8%

Cape Town

$143 9% 15.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Sur

$106 9.2%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 36.4% $39

Getting Around

Sur

$16 * 1.4%

Cape Town

$75 4.7% 354% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $263 in Sur versus $1,021 in Cape Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 61% higher in Sur, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Sur versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Sur vs $225 in Cape Town – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇴🇲 Sur

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

12:28 12:28 PM

10:28 10:28 AM

2 h behind Sur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,000

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 OMR = 2.6 USD

1 OMR = 2.31 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to OMR – Omani Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇴🇲 Omani Rial (ر.ع.)

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to OMR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sur Cape Town 7,640 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sur
Cape Town

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Sur vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 38% more than Sur, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,727 per month in Sur and $2,379 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sur, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,151 in Sur and $1,586 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 38%.

Kindergarten costs $285 per month in Sur and $259 in Cape Town. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sur, where all-in costs run around $1,151, than in Cape Town at $1,586. In Sur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sur costs $1,151 versus $1,586 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sur. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.